Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Tuesday, January 22, 2002 5:20 PM Please Consider My Concerns Re Victims' Fund Ladies and Gentlemen: I am writing to provide my opinion on the wrongful use of taxpayers' moneys to make $1.6 millionaires out of families of victims. Allow me to sum up as follows: 1. I am truly sorry for those families of victims. I am personally a generous contributor to the needy and destitute, and as a private citizen feel that it is a worth action to make appropriate donations. 2. It is, nevertheless, outrageous for our government to bestow upon these people an amount of money that will assure that they are guaranteed millionaires. Only a fraction of 1% of Americans will have come by such a significant net worth through their own efforts. How can you justify to the many, many millions of Americans who have worked their whole lives and have a minor fraction of the amount of their money you are gifting to these families. Tragedy strikes every moment of every day in this country, and the government does not try to take such ridiculous action. 3. What do you propose if a terrorist attack strikes again, and, say, a 4-million population city were destroyed? There is not enough money in the coffers to pay out a similar $1.6 million gift to that many families (without extraordinary inflation and redistribution of wealth). 4. Then, after making this well-intentioned, but senseless decision, you go on to essentially grossly reward those who have not provided well financially for their futures. If you were to still feel the necessity to go forward, why not give each one of them a more reasonable level of, say, $100,000. (Do not forget that private funds have also been provided in aggregate amounts that are similarly significant.) I would rather not call it penalizing the prepared victims (in terms of offsetting of life insurance, 401-K plans, pension funds, etc.), but rather, a gross enhancement to those undeserving victims. While I do not think those who have not provided well financially for their futures should have their pay-outs aggrandized in this way, because the number is so great at a $1.6 million potential, the offsets are probably correct (that is why I would urge a much lower pay-out to everyone without consideration of other assets, insurance, etc.). 5. There is no price you can put on life, so that is not a good argument for this wasteful and outrageously generous gifting arrangement, utilizing taxpayers' funds. 6. Why are you worried about lawsuits? -- What could the government have done to have caused this tragic event that would likely prevail in a wrongful death finding if brought to court? As an American, I would rather have us take that chance, especially as there are lots and lots of privately gifted funds (the right way) available. Also, on this flimsy ("economic-argument") basis, legislation could be passed to declare this an act beyond such litigation -- a far better way to deal with this concern. 7. What about all the spouses of victims that were contemplating or currently taking action regarding divorcing the deceased victim? Do you intend to reward them and include them in the new "millionaires' club" as well? 8. What about the illegal aliens that worked in the building? I guess they will join the exclusive ranks of the unintended and undeserved wealthy as well. Well, as you can see, as an American I am disgusted by the flagrant irresponsibility (despite national pain) in responding in this way. I urge you to go back to the drawing board and reverse this hideous, precedent-setting decision. Individual Comment Grosse Pointe Farms, MI September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-22 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN002080.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-01-22